Bridge cable strand



Dec. 20, 1938. l J,F. HWE ET AL 2,141,138

BRIDGE CABLE STRAND Filed Oct. 26, v1936 4 2 Sheets-Sheet l @L w Q/ vJAI/W56 Fo/eefrf/@WE 'md /W/QLCOLM 144 E550.

Dec. 20, 1938. J. F, HowE ET AL 2,141,138

BRIDGE CABLE STRAND Filed Oct. 26, 1936 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' fag@ -[Wei/50715: a//wf FOB/@56T Hon/5 am 'M4/couv /fI/. E550.

Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRIDGE @ABLE STRANDApplication October 26, 1936, Serial No. 107,742

1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to suspension bridges and isparticularly concerned with the making of suspension bridge cablestrands and the like, one of the objects being to improve on the usualprocedure of spinning bridge cable strands.

The accompanying drawings schematically illustrate the principles of theinvention, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan.

Figures 2 through 6 are enlargements from Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an anchorage for a complete cable strand.

According to the invention, a plurality of reels I carrying coils ofstrand components 2 may be arranged either horizontally or vertically.These components may be Wires, ropes, various co-mbinations of Wires,etc., and their shape may vary as desired, but for convenience thesecomponents are illustrated as comprising round Wires and they Willtherefore be referred to as wires throughout the remainder of thespecication.

The wires 2 are led from the coils through a spreader 3 which consistsof a platey of suitable strength in which a plurality oi wire passage-Ways 3a are formed. These Wire passageways are arranged in apredetermined pattern which is the same, -except for the spacing, as theWires are to have in the strand. Th-e Wires, now in conical formation,next encounter a condenser 4 which may be exactly like the spreader 3excepting that the spacing of the wire passageways, in this casenumeraled 4b, is reduced.

The Wires 2 continue from the condenser 4 in straight lines until theyencounter a lay-plate 5, which is also constructed like the spreaderexcepting that thespacing of the wire passage- Ways, here numeraled 5b,is very much less. 'I'his lay-plate functions to further compact thewires, the latter then proceeding directly to a die 6 which may beremovably mounted in a suitable holder 1. This die may be much like thatused by a conventional Wire stranding machine. However, it isstationarily mounted and is much larger and stronger. Although notpreviously mentioned, the spreader, condenser and lay-plate are allstationary, this term being here used in the sense that the variouselements are non-revoluble respecting one another.

When the wires have been passed through the vdie in the mannermentioned, their various ends are provided with a single socket whichmay be a large a'air providing a split conical basket 8 having anexternal surface 9 about which wires l0 may be wound. Zinc or othermetal may be poured inside this socket to rmly unite the various wiresin the socket. The wires l0 are wound on the outside of the socket toprovide the extreme strength required, the amount of wire used dependingupon this requirement.

By pulling on this just described socket the Wires may be drawn throughthe die so as to be laid together in the desired pattern, this beingpredetermined by the spreader, condenser and lay-plate. As the wiresleave the die they are bound together by a suitable binder Il, which mayconsist of a couple of reels Ila carrying binding material Illo andadapted to revolve about the wires 2. The rate at which the wires arepulled through the die will normally be very slow, because of thestresses and the mass of the various elements involved. The lengths ofWire drawn from the reels I depend upon the length of the strandrequired. This strand is in finished form as it leaves the binder Il.

It is possible tol pull the strand as it is being formed directly overthe supports of the bridge structure. When the opposite end is reachedthe unsocketed end of the strand may be socketed in the manner describedin connection with the pulled end of the strand. To d-o this the pulledend is first mounted at the other end of the bridge structure by asuitable anchorage. The individual wires are then tensioned to equalizethe stresses throughout the strand and this other socket applied andsuitably anchored. It is, of course, possible, the terrain permitting,to form the strand along one side of the bridge location, and to thencarry the strand in line with the bridge and hoist it into place.Furthermore, the sockets mentioned need not necessarily be used sinceany suitable clamp can function to pull the Wires through the die and itis possible to socket and anchor the strand wires individually.

Although the principles of the present invention have been disclosed bya specific example in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to beunderstood that its scope is not to be limited exactly to this example,except as defined by the app-ended claim. Thus, the present inventorsdol not intend that the claim be limited to the sole use of Wires as thestrand components, since they contemplate the use of the various othertypes of components mentioned early in the specication.

We claim;

A method of making a suspension bridge cable end of the bridge siteWhile applying cable strand binding to said elements at a positionadjacent the rst named end.

JAMES FORREST HOWE. MALCOLMI W. REED. v

